Plastic Pollution

Africa is home to one of the world's poorest youth populations, with around 80 millionhttps://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2019/10/17/more-than-100-million-young-adults-are-still-living-in-extreme-poverty/ living in extreme poverty. The man below, Kwabena Akese, is a 25-year-old urban poor who spends some of his days swimming in the heavily polluted Korle Lagoon near the center of Accra to recover recyclable plastics, which he sells to recyclers for pennies. This video should get you started before you scroll down: https://youtu.be/UlEi3_XVXmw Young people are routinely not recognized as a resource in many developing countries. As such, their absence in decision making is clearly visible in a region such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa, a largely gerontocratic society, had the highest labour force participation of older persons in the world in 2015, according to the United Nations Populations Divisionhttps://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/popfacts/PopFacts_2016-1.pdf. Many cannot afford to stop working out of fear of old-age poverty — despite reaching pensionable age. This also means that millions of Africa's youth are out of jobs because their fathers and grandfathers have 'refused' to stop working to make way for them. Africa's youth bulge is projected to grow in the foreseeable future. As the last frontier in the fight against extreme poverty, Africa's youth bulge is projected to grow in the foreseeable future. No doubt millions of young people would be forced to engage in hazardous work — such as Kwabena below — as cities creak under a load of their growing populations. Read more about this situation and Kwabena here: Related: Plastic Pollution in Ghana: Urban Trash Heroes Urban poor man swims in the polluted Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana, to recover recyclable plastics. Plastic pollution is visible in many African countries, where municipal waste management systems are inefficient. Copyright © 2020 Muntaka ChasantPoverty in Ghana: Young Ghanaian man hand no choice but to swim in the polluted Korle Lagoon in Accra to recover recyclable plastics in order to earn enough for food for the day. Around 8.2% of Ghana’s population lives in extreme poverty, earning below $200 per year. Around 8.2% of Ghana’s population lives in extreme poverty, earning below $200 per year, according to a Ghana Statistical Services report. Copyright © 2020 Muntaka ChasantPlastic waste collectors: An urban poor Ghanaian man collects recyclable plastic waste from the polluted Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana. Plastic waste collectors help to reduce waste, clean up costs, and supply materials to recyclers. Copyright © 2020 Muntaka ChasantPlastic waste in Ghana: Plastic pollution is destroying Ghana's water bodies. A young man is busy recovering recyclable plastic waste in the Korle Lagoon in Accra. Only 5% of the plastic waste generated in Ghana every year are recycled. Copyright © 2020 Muntaka ChasantYouth poverty in Africa: Photo of a poor young African man who had to swim in the polluted Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana, to recover recyclable plastics before he could earn money to buy food. Around 80 million youth (15-24 years) in Africa live in extreme poverty. Copyright © 2020 Muntaka Chasant From another time: Plastic pollution: An urban poor man held on tightly to his collected plastics in a sack even as he nearly submerged in the polluted Korle Lagoon. Copyright © 2020 Muntaka ChasantDJI Mavic Air 2 photo sample: Photo of an urban poor man collecting recyclable plastics in the heavily polluted Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana. The Korle Lagoon is recognized as one of the most polluted water bodies on earth. Mavic air 2 sample photo. Copyright © 2020 Muntaka Chasant Copyright © 2020 Muntaka Chasant

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